Port Douglas and Cairns lie about an hour apart on the coast of Far North Queensland. This part of Far North Queensland is a very popular holiday destination and most visitors staying in either Port Douglas, or Cairns, will visit the same local attractions, including The Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda, Daintree Rainforest, and our beautiful beaches.
You'll find a lot of content on our site about this part of the world because we've lived there for over a decade in total. You'll find things to do, places to go and where to stay in the Port Douglas and Cairns area of Queensland.
We also include nearby places of interest and day trips in the region. This area was home to us as expats and as locals. Our archives and collected blog posts in the Far North of Australia (includes The Great Barrier Reef, Atherton Tablelands, Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown)
Key posts and great information you'll need for planning your Cairns or Port Douglas vacation, include:
See only Port Douglas content here
If you'd like to see, and book, available activities and tours in the Cairns and Port Douglas region, you can do that here. This link opens in a new tab.
Port Douglas has some of the best snorkelling in the world, being perfectly located on the Coral Sea, a short boat ride away from the Great Barrier Reef. In Port Douglas you can go snorkelling from the beach (although there’s not much to see) or take various tours and boat trips to Low Isles, the …
Most of the biggest and best hotels in Port Douglas do not allow dogs to stay, other than assistance dogs, but a handful of hotels, camp sites and villas, will allow dogs and pets. We run through the best Port Douglas hotels with dogs. Some Port Douglas restaurants and pubs will also allow dogs on …
The best time to visit Cairns Australia is when you can visit. Never let the weather put you off too much, but should you choose summer or winter, wet season or dry and should you not visit in stinger season? A lot depends on which of the things to do in Cairns and near Cairns …
Yes, you can snorkel off the beach in Port Douglas. It’s something I’ve done many times. But read the rest of this post to find out about potential dangers and limitations. Obviously, you snorkel at your own risk. Most visitors to Port Douglas come to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. For this, you need …
Port Douglas has just one beach, Four Mile Beach. Another site claims Port Douglas has multiple beaches, they’re a large, commercial site and are trying to cash in on the keyword “Port Douglas Beaches”. That keyword exists because Port Douglas has a hotel called “Beaches”. We live in Port Douglas. We live minutes from Port …
Port Douglas is pretty popular as a Christmas holiday destination. With Australian long summer school holidays falling over the Christmas period, many families choose to travel around Christmas time and into the early New Year. However, Christmas and summer time bring some of the hottest, most humid weather to the tropics. Port Douglas is just …
Cairns with kids. Fun things to do in Cairns with kids. In this post, we cover family-friendly things to do in Cairns for a family holiday or vacation. Both in Cairns, and near Cairns. Child-pleasing and family-friendly things to do in Cairns Australia. We already published our guide to things to do in Cairns, now …
Dining in Port Douglas is made all the better if you can find a restaurant with a good view. A delicious dinner of local seafood or a modern Australian dish is always enhanced by a wonderful sea view, don’t you think? We have a few Port Douglas restaurants to share with you, where you can …
There are many things to do in Port Douglas Australia and near this pretty Australian resort town. Most visitors take trips to the Great Barrier Reef and Low Isles for snorkelling and scuba diving. Then there are natural attractions like the Daintree rainforest and Mossman Gorge to explore. This post lists the best activities, day …
Port Douglas Queensland Australia is a beautiful, up-market resort town with easy access to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest. It’s a dream destination for families with kids with many safe, beautiful, outdoor things to do. We’ve called it home since our kids were toddlers, babies really. If you’ve not had a chance to …
Yes, absolutely, you can swim in Port Douglas Australia unless the lifeguards close the beach due to various unusual dangers. Beach closures aren’t common. Should you swim? There are a few things you need to know about safety, crocodiles, deadly jellyfish, nets (swimming enclosures), and lifeguards. This post is all about swimming in Port Douglas …
OK, so Port Douglas isn’t cheap. It’s a high-cost destination in the global travel scene but if you’re trying to stretch your budget there are a few things to do in Port Douglas for free. We’ll give you some ideas on free things to do below. If you’re planning a holiday this year we also …